Eating alone is something that I am very experienced with. I do not enjoy it, I despise it, and I would hope that by 2040 there would be options to make things easier. I speculate that in the year 2040, with the seamless integration of technology into people’s lives, it will be all too easy to rely on social media like apps to meet strangers or talk to friends through the digital space while eating alone. I speculate that in the year 2040, people will feel a longing for the physical. To remove oneself from the digital realm and situate solely in the physical space without digital distraction, is something that seems refreshing and wild even today. I speculate that by 2040, this would only be amplified tenfold.

Initially I wanted to create something subtle and useful, along the lines of the spoon concept presented during one of the initial lectures. I wanted to design a sort of flashing beacon you could use to tell people that you were open and willing for a chat in the public space. I thought that a sticky beacon you could attach to your bowl could be a good idea. Upon consultation with Kate, she opened my mind to the potential for playfulness and excitement in speculative prototype’s. In a future of technological innovation and environmental issues, an object that solves a problem in a playful, engaging and physical way will probably be a tantalising concept.

I sought to create a bowl that someone can use to grab people’s attention in a playful and engaging manor to signal that they are open to conversation.

I began by constructing prototypes with paper. All were focused around a bowl with something that could pop up and signal that you were open to conversation. Following the paper prototypes, I realised that I may as well use a real bowl because paper is never going to be a substitute for the real thing.

I initially experimented with placing a smaller bowl inside of a larger one. This excess space created in the interior provides room to conceal the added components the bowl needs for its dramatic signal. Although this works, I felt it was missing something, it was abit bare and not playful enough.

 

In searching for materials, I stumbled upon what is actually a sun visor. I picked it up because it looked futuristic but it became a solid part of my prototype. I went through a couple of iterations with this, and eventually settled with the final prototype. I went with the name “Converti-bowl” as the nature of the visor means it can be converted into 3 distinct modes each with their own specific function. The name also sounds like “Convertible” when pronounced which emphasises the playful nature of the product.

The first mode is to be used when eating alone and have no desire to attract attention.

 

Under the second mode, the UV visor can both signal that you want to be left alone, while also shielding your food from the harsh outdoor weather environment of 2040.

Under the third mode, or “Peacock” mode you can unveil your dramatic colours and signal to the world that you are open and ready for conversation. If you find a suitable partner, your bowl can simply be retracted down again to have a meal together.

The Converti-bowl therefore provides a physical disruption amidst a highly digital landscape.

References-

– All of the images are my own

Bill Ormonde was born in 1992, and although he is a similar age, he grew up in a different state of the country, therefore it is interesting to note the different ways in which individuals can engage with technology over a similar time period, and in particular during education.

When asked about how computers have changed over the course of his lifetime, he noted that “As a kid, computers were used sparingly in primary school as a tool for educational games. They seemed like an indulgence or something fun to do, rather than we were actually learning.” I found this to be an interesting point, as I have no awareness or knowledge of how kids are using technology in primary schools these days. Are they integrated more than when we were kids, and what purpose will computers in particular serve in the future for education in young learners?

This was compounded by the mention of the educational laptops that the NSW government rolled out when he was in high school. He mentioned that “using those in class wasn’t particularly educational, we were just constantly looking for ways to hack them and play games with them.” This highlights a viewpoint that computers and technology, atleast a couple of years ago, weren’t integrated very well into educational systems. My experience with these laptops was much the same.

When asked about his relationship with technology has changed over time, he mentions that “Although technology in general has gotten smaller, I’m not doing anything drastically different with computers than when I was a kid.” This is an interesting point, as when compared to the uses of computers when they were first introduced, the use of the traditional desktop computers and laptops hasn’t changed a great deal in the past 15-20 years.

When asked about where he sees the role of digital technology heading towards in 2040, he mirrors the common assumption that “there will be a continual reduction in size of devices” and further attempts to “streamline them into our lives”.  In regard to the role of the traditional computer “I’m not sure how that’s going to fare. The iMac is already very thin, not that this even matters when it’s on a desk… Portability from a laptop is nice, but I’m always going to want a big screen to do more intensive things with.”

Employing the method of backcasting, I thought it would be interesting to note the thoughts surrounding computers in education during the pre-1990’s and the evolution of the internet.

“An Apple IIe computer being used in a middle school classroom in 1984.”

Interestingly, the discussion is much the same as the concerns and issue’s that Bill experienced during his education. The role of computers in education in 1975 was discussed as “an emerging tech­nology with great promise for instruction. Now, however, it is recog­nized that achieving that promise will require time, considerable experi­mentation, and a great deal of research and development.” (Huxel, G 1975)

With Bill’s sentiments, and my own experiences of the role of technology in particularly early education, it seems like the 20-30 years between the 70’s and the early 2000’s wasn’t enough time to properly engage technology in education. With this rate of change, it is difficult to ascertain what the role of technology in education will be in the future 2040. Perhaps it will be not too different from today.

References-

HUXEL, G  “A STUDY OF THE FUTURE IMPLICATIONS OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION”. George Henry Huxel, The Florida State University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 1975. 7526786.

Image-

https://timeline.com/apple-kids-cant-wait-2792d326aa31

https://hubpages.com/education/Advances-in-Technology-and-Its-Effects-on-Education

How will a shift in diets over the next decades affect food production induced climate change? Research has presented that the biggest driver of increased food demand into the future will be the diets of the worlds growing middle class. It’s estimated that from now to 2050, “40 percent of the world’s population—more than 3 billion people—will transition to a diet heavier in meat, eggs, and dairy. By mid-century, annual greenhouse gas emissions from food production and clearing of new land for agriculture will be 80 percent higher than in 2009. (Tilman, 2011) The effects of farming and food production on climate change is well studied and estimated to be responsible for “up to 30% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, about 70% of freshwater use, and occupies more than one-third of all potentially cultivatable land.” (Aleksandrowicz, 2016)

 

“We suggest that the observed relationships between per capita crop use and per capita real GDP (Fig. 1) provide a means of forecasting future crop demand.” (Tillman, 2011) 

In a world where the presence of veganism and vegetarianism is constantly growing, especially within the middle class, these statistics were surprising to me. However, it seems that the bulk of growth into middle class will be fuelled by increases in “rates for developing nations being greater than developed nations” (Tilman, 2011) But why them, does an increase in the world’s middle class signal an increase in need for meat, eggs and dairy?

“Since everyone must eat, what we eat becomes a most powerful symbol of who we are.” (Fox, 2014 p.2) Food is “a system of communication, a body of images, a protocol of usages, situations, and behaviour.” (Barthes, 1997) Food, then, becomes a powerful signal for the individual’s increase in social ranking.

“Foreign foods tend to be shunned by the working classes, but among the upper-middle and upper they become items of prestige.” (Fox, 2014 p.4) A case in point can be made for India, whose vegetarianism has been gradually becoming less strict over the past 30 years”(Khara, T), and will overtake China as the world’s most populous country by 2024. (Chamie, J) India is “rapidly changing from an agricultural society to an industrial economy with a surging urban population. This is driving the fastest-growing poultry market in the world, as cultural norms change and eating meat becomes a status symbol.” “Only about three in ten Indians now claim to be vegetarian, and a 2016 national survey found that more than half of people aged between 15 and 34 eat meat.” (Khara, T)

Therefore, with the most rapid growth in world population and GDP coming from developing nations whose population is growing in social ranking, it is only obvious that food is a key tool to signify these changes.

References-

Fox, 2014 “Food and Eating: An Anthropological Perspective” Robin Fox, SIRC: Social Issues Research Centre

Barthes, R 1997 “Toward a Psychosociology of Contemporary Food Consumption” Roland Barthes within “Food and culture : a reader”edited by Carole Counihan and Penny Van Esterik: New York : Routledge, 1997

Khara, T 2018 “The myth of a vegetarian India”. Tani Khara, September 11, 2018, The Conversation

Chamie, J  2017 “India’s Population: Becoming Number One” Joseph Chamie and Barry Mirkin, Thursday, August 10, 2017, YaleGlobal Online. https://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/indias-population-becoming-number-one

Aleksandrowicz, L 2016 “The Impacts of Dietary Change on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Land Use, Water Use, and Health: A Systematic Review”

Tilman, D 2011 “Global food demand and the sustainable intensification of agriculture.”

 

When I think of the future, first and foremost I think of immense technological development, and further destruction of the natural environment. This has been fuelled largely by my long-time favourite movie, Blade Runner (1982). Blade Runner paints a dark and miserable future of technological and industrial excess amidst a highly polluted and segregated landscape.

Blade Runner (1982)

To a large extent, this dystopian outlook of the future for me still rings true. Despite modern efforts towards clean energy and reducing emissions, a major report on climate research conducted this year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)posits that a limit on global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is needed, but that we are still not doing enough. It claims that the “promises made by countries to cut their emissions up to 2030 will not limit global warming to 1.5C even if action is massively scaled up after the end of the next decade… Reaching those levels will require rapid, far reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.” (Cosoleto, 2018)

In a world where the president of the USA, one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions, actively denies so much as the existence of climate change, it is extremely hard to believe that these changes will come soon enough. Whenqueried about the recent IPCC report, Trump refuted and ignored it’s clear conclusion, stating that the USA “havescientists that disagree with human-caused global warming… You’d have to show me the mainstream scientists because they have a very big political agenda”. (Nuccitelli, 2018)

In addition to a depleted earth represented in Blade Runner, the film also makes reference to “off-world colonies”, which presumably the worlds rich have used to escape earth and find refuge on other planets. This future of leaving a depleted earth is one that I find very interesting, but am unsure of how realistic it is when considering how imminent of a threat that scientists convey global warming to be.

In particular relation to the focus of food in Lab A, the premise of the film Interstellar (2014) is that a plague has wiped out the worlds crops, leaving just corn as the only viable food source on earth. In response to this, and one which mirrors Blade Runner, space travellers are sent into the abyss in search of a new home for humanity off planet. The emphasis on food in the film is a poignant reminder of the impact of global warming and pollution from a standpoint that I don’t think the general public thinks of immediately when the issue of global warming is raised. Rather it is often the image of melting icebergs in Antarctica or flash floods that grab news headlines. Therefore this is an important film not only in relation to Lab A but as a grave reminder that without a healthy earth, it cannot provide food for its people.

Interstellar, 2014

In a world where Elon Musk is investing heavily in space travel while simultaneously contributing to global warming by producing consumer products in the form of electric vehicles and catapulting his car into space as a sort of sick joke, this pursuit for life beyond a depleted and disintegrated earth represented in Interstellar is one that seems to be active in development, however disturbing.

Elon Musk, SpaceX

The film interstellar also emphasises the importance of lab grown food which was researched within our future scenario. Our quadrant of extreme weather and high technology reinforced the need for food alternatives that can be developed in spite of unpredictable weather events produced by global warming into the future, as space travel and leaving our depleted planet might not be a realistic option. Despite this initial dire outlook, upon further research throughout these films, it is clear that the future is not fixed, but that many different futures are possible.

References-

Nuccitelli, D 2018 “Trump thinks scientists are split on climate change. So do most Americans”. The Guardian, 22^ndOctober 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/oct/22/trump-thinks-scientists-are-split-on-climate-change-so-do-most-americans

Cosoleto, T 2018 “’We’re not on track’: Major climate change report pushes for 1.5C cap” Tara Cosoleto, 8^thOctober 2018, SBS News – https://www.sbs.com.au/news/we-re-not-on-track-major-climate-change-report-  pushes-for-1-5c-cap

Image-

https://variety.com/2017/film/columns/how-blade-runner-became-a-geek-metaphor-for-art-1202583468/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmz9lMP6aQU

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/spacex-rocket-record-50-launches-reliability-2018-3?r=US&IR=T

 

The following was written in 2017 by myself for assessment:

At the core of the human experience is the need for physical and social interaction. Society informs how one experiences the world, and therefore, human development is dependent on this phenomenon, regardless of age. Snobbery is the paragon of taste in its most elite manifestations. This paper’s objective is to uncover the performative nature of taste, examining the role of society in constructing an individual’s social development. Human behaviour is inherently a combination of ‘inherited [nature], and acquired [nurture] characteristics’ (McLeod 2007); the human experience of taste is concerned with ‘the relative contribution that both [nature and nurture] make to” one’s interaction with social constructs.

Such constructs can be seen in the etiquette surrounding dining, specifically the use of cutlery. Navigating the design history that cutlery design has undertaken, especially between 17th and 18th centuries, brings to light this very phenomenon, whereby the dining experience is concerned with how one eats rather than what they ate (Bisset 2013). An examination of the function of forks as a psychological and social performance evidences how the concept of etiquette “appears to [be] as highly personal, something ‘inward’, implanted [ … ] by nature”. The notion of appearance here is important to note as the individual is made to believe such an tendency is inherited. Exploring this phenomenon reveals how an exposure to external influences affects one’s perception of their own nature. This tension between the human tendency towards social adjustment is mimicked in the form and function of the utensil itself.

Broadly, adults in the 17th and 18th centuries were amid adjusting to the use of forks. Essentially resisting the automaticity of the notions of etiquette, in order to fit a growing societal mould. This is then mimicked in the raising of children past such time periods, in that children were institutionally taught to partake in the ritual of using cutlery. What was forgotten is, that very conduct was contrary to the fundamental inhibitions of the child; rather the child, as the 18th century adult did, learned and adjusted to the mould set for them by a larger societal framework. Over time, each party forgot what they felt was natural and succumbed to the performative nature of dining etiquette. This ultimately suggests that “people, forced to live with one another in new ways, became more sensitive to the impulses of others, and therefore learned to subject their own conduct to more subtle and elaborate controls” (Goudsbloum & Mennell 1998). It could be said that both parties are a product of maturation, whereby this learnt characteristic (nurture) emerges as a seemingly inherent (nature) characteristic later in life.

Goudsbloum and Mennell summarise this phenomenon here:

“Since the pressure or coercion of individual adults is allied to the pressure and example of the whole surrounding world, most children, as they grow up, forget or repress relatively early the fact that their feelings of shame and embarrassment, of pleasure and displeasure, are moulded into conformity with a certain standard by external pressure and compulsion”.

Figure 1. Kings pattern handle with curved blade circa 1899, Goldsmiths’ and Silversmiths’ Company Ltd

The appeal of the elite is grounded in the social distance that the aspiring middle class have from the luxuries that are otherwise unavailable to them. Construal level theory prescribes a pattern of thinking whereby the individual adefaults to concrete or abstract thoughts, depending on this social distance. The fish knife (see figure 1) manufactured in early 19th century Britain “was an object of fussy design, solving a problem that was not truly present” and became a manifestation of this theory for the rising middle class who aspired to a “gentrified way of dining” (Bisset 2013). The knife pictured is made of sterling silver, as it was believed that steel, which was previously used, reacted with acids in the fish, and would alter the flavours. The handle is stamped with the King’s Pattern, which, even in contemporary society, carries a notion of luxury reserved for the bourgeoisie. These formal qualities are an artifice, used by the middle class to suggest that “they could afford to dine in the finest fashion” (Bisset 2013).

As such, notions of etiquette contextually inherent to the knife are adopted to manually close the social distance the middle class has with the perceived exclusivity of dining cutlery; they essentially forced a low-level construal where salience was imposed on the item itself. This phenomenon mimics the notion of maturation, in that the form of the fork is performative; it carries the illusion of luxury. The industrial revolution, and the technical advances in mass-manufacturing, made the upper-class dining experience more accessible and tangible, without translating social class distinctions. Mennell exemplifies this in their examination of a changing “political economy”, in which society “reflect[s] a transition ‘from a culture-debating to a culture-consuming public’” (Habermas quoted in Mennell 2003).

In conclusion, it is through an analysis of the formal and semiotic qualities of the dining utensils that a distinction between snobbery and its effect on taste is proffered. This analysis has at its core a demonstrated conflict that exists between the inherited and acquired characteristics of the human condition. The navigation of age and notions of maturity in the performance of etiquette illuminates how human behaviour is informed by societal constructs. Once embedded in one’s autonomy it appears to be unconscious, though there exists an intentional shift in behaviour at its genesis; thus revealing the performative nature of snobbery, especially its manifestation in ‘politeness’.

The formal qualities that exist, as evidenced in the kings pattern fish knife, further the performativity of dining etiquette in its ability to allow middle class to transcend their societal limitations. Although this translation of class distinction is specious. The manufacturing advances that the Industrial Revolution realised enabled the middle class to appear as active members of the bourgeoise dining experience. As well as showcasing a shift in social paradigms whereby the refinement of dining etiquette was simplified.

 

References

Mennell, S. 2003, ‘Eating in the Public Sphere in the Nineteeth and Twentieth Centuries’, in M. Jacobs and P. Scholliers (eds), Eating out in Europe: Picnics, gourmet dining, and scnaks since the late eighteeth century, BERG, New York, pp.245-260.

Goudsbloum, J. and Mennell, S. 1998, ‘The rise of the fork’ in J. Goudsbloum and S. Mennell (eds), The Norbert Elias reader : a biographical selection, Blackwell, Oxford, U.K.; Malden, Mass., pp.51-54.

Bisset, C. 2013, ‘Is the fish knife our most pretentious utensil?’, ABC: By Design, 23 September, viewed 10 June 2017 < http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bydesign/4954624/>

Goldsmiths’ and Silversmiths’ Company Ltd. 1899, Fish Knife, V&A, viewed 9 June 2017, http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O48546/fish-knife-goldsmiths-and-silversmiths/

McLeod S, 2007, Nature vs Nurture in Psychology¸ SimplyPsychology  viewed 8 June 2017, <https://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html/&gt;

In assessment 3 we were asked to construct a prototype that could be found in our future scenario in 2050 which we established in assessment 2.

After the discussion with my interviewee, I was determined to build a prototype that was focused on bringing people together. Kathryne spoke about the dishwasher being brought into her family home for the first time when she was a child. She mentioned, “the kids didn’t have to wash up anymore”. This made me realise how washing-up actually brings the kids together and perform chores with each other. Instead of building a technology that completes tasks for you so children can disperse back into their bedrooms, I wanted to physically bring people together through food.

As a group, we made a list of 20 potential prototypes that focused on changing the way we do things socially, this is an interesting aspect as it made us really push our boundaries and collaborate our ideas so we could receive useful feedback. As our tutor said, “no ideas are bad ideas”, this guided us to begin experimenting with our materials.

My initial sketches were simply combining objects with already existing technologies like a basket to a drone, or a computerised voice to a trolley. I looked back on lectures to view speculative design prototype examples for inspiration. ‘Respiratory Dog’ uses an actual dog and medical equipment to convince others of its process, I need to consider this convincing material use for my prototype.

(Cohen, R. & Van Balen, T. 2008)

In our second lecture, I learned that speculative design involves generating futures (our future scenario), evaluating futures by developing sketches and prototypes and then enlisting futures whereby designers convince others about the possibilities they have created. Our prototypes need materials that look convincing.

The first prototype I built was a system of placing people on stools, they were asked to ‘build your own bowl’ as a group and then dine together. The food would come up through the centre of the design and then split into individual bowls. When I discussed this design with my tutor we stumbled across many problems like making a group decision with strangers and the possibility of a fussy eater. I abandoned this idea and went back to my working with my materials.

This is my own photograph

I eventually discovered the concept of the ‘lego bowl’, the idea that you cannot eat out of something unless it is attached to something else. Through many attempts and designs, I finally built my final prototype.

This is my own photograph

My design ‘La Bowle’ acts as a vehicle for physically bringing people together and can only be used and eaten out of when it is locked into place. It cannot stand upright unless it is secured in a specific metal holder. I had collaborated with a member from my group who discovered my bowl design could fit into one of his plate designs. Once I had made the design draft, I purchased the appropriate materials for the specific elements of the prototype.

This is my own photograph

 

My prototype diagram

 

 

Blog Post 4 References:

Cohen, R. & Van Balen, T. 2008, Respiratory Dog, Revital Cohen & Tuur Van Balen, viewed 14 October 2018, <http://www.cohenvanbalen.com/work/life-support#&gt;.

 

 

I have interviewed Kathryne Aldis, she works in business administration whilst also managing properties. Born in 1965, Kathryne has seen several technologies develop significantly overtime and remains excited for what future technology will bring. She admits the rate of new technology has decreased compared to what had been invented when she was young. I was introduced to this idea in Professor Tonkinwise’s lecture in week 4, he discussed the thought experiment of people from 1900-1950 would be amazed by the technology whereas people from 1950-2000 would be more amazed by the social changes that have occurred. Since 1950 not a significant amount of technology has been introduced, instead it has been constantly updating and improving.

 

(Tonkinwise, C, 2018)

 

However, when new technology was introduced in the early 19^thcentury, people like Kathryne were immediately impacted by these products. The dishwasher was a vast change to the household, “it meant that the kids didn’t have to wash up anymore, we just had to chuck it in this box, it was fantastic.” The way my interviewee was talking about her family’s first dishwasher was quite incredible to hear, calling it a “box” conveys how dramatically it changed people’s lives. It is now considered a basic component of today’s kitchen, something that I take for granted every day.

 

When I asked Kathryne to imagine the dishwasher in 20 years time, her response was much quicker than expected, perhaps this was not her first time imagining something that could make stacking and unstacking the dishwasher easier. “Maybe you don’t have to physically take something out of the dishwasher and put it away, maybe there will be a rotational device where it will clean things and then rotate it to another section where it is dry.” As someone who also dislikes dishwasher duties, this seems like an excellent idea. However, conducting this interview has made me wonder if we are becoming too reliant on technology to complete tasks for us, are we becoming significantly lazier than those who didn’t get a chance to use the dishwasher?

 

This brings me to my next topic of artificial intelligence, the way of the future according to Kathryne. Computers were also an amazing technology introduced to Kathryne when she was first entering the workforce. For me, it is difficult to imagine a computer “the size of an office room that crashed at least 4 times a day”, it is difficult to imagine life without them. By contrast to today’s extreme acceleration of computing power, Moore’s law states “processor speeds, or overall processing power for computers will double every two years”, therefore it is difficult to envision the future when the rate of technology is this high. This fact is overwhelming, “machines themselves are turning into workers, and the line between the capability of labor and capital is blurring as never before” (Ford, M. 2015). Kathryne is aware of this rate and understands that her administration job will eventually be taken over by computing softwares, however she believes the sales component in property management will not change that much, “sales will always need a level of human interaction as purchasing a property is an emotional investment and will need a human to push them over the line”.

 

Blog Post 3 References:

  

Ford, M. 2015, Rise of the Robots, Basic Books, New York.

 

Moore’s Law, n.d. Moore’s Law, viewed 14 October 2018, <http://www.mooreslaw.org>.

 

Tonkinwise, C. 2018, ‘Speculative Designing (for Transitions)’, UTS Online Subject 85202, PowerPoint presentation, UTS, Sydney, viewed 14 October 2018, <https://online.uts.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-3042573-dt-content-rid-36394835_1/courses/85202-2018-SPRING-CITY/Lab%20A%20SCD.pdf>.